I'll hold you forever
by zippizappi
Summary: An anonymous text leads Hanna and Caleb into the woods. There's hiking boots, tents, s'mores and - a RING. MY FIRST FANFIC!


Hey _guys. I've finally raised the courage to publish my first fanfic. Part of the story has been sitting on my hard-drive for some time already, but now that we know for sure that another Haleb tent scene is coming, I've found the inspiration to finish it. I literally squealed when I saw the Freeform promo back in February because I had been longing for a recreation of that iconic scene for ages!_

 _Anyway, this is my take on it. I hope you enjoy reading it just as much as I did writing. Please review when you're done! And please, be kind since it's my first time, and also bear in mind, that English is not my first language. I tried my best with grammar and punctuation, pardon me if there are some mistakes here and there. ;-) I'm kind of nervous about my baby going public, but I'm also interested in what you readers think about it._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, obviously Alloy Entertainment does._

 _Oh and also: In my fanfiction bubble, Jordanna and_ Spaleb _never happened! Like… ew, no! No!_

* * *

 **I'll hold you forever**

* * *

She was running late. Her business meeting with potential clients at Lucas' office had been pushed back due to a delayed connecting flight, and the negotiations were taking forever. Hanna kept checking her watch repeatedly, calculating in her mind which exit strategy she could pull off the easiest.

A.D. had sent her another message, so she thought considering the anonymous sender, and Hanna feared for the worst. Was it her time to play the game again? She wanted more than anything for the game to be over and done, so she tried to comply to A.D.'s dare - which meant she was supposed to be on her way to Bilson's outdoor store parking lot right this moment.

As the minutes ticked by, Hanna became more and more frantic. She had to get out of the conference room immediately. She knew the stakes were high and losing the dare was no option. She almost lost Caleb when he got involved in the board game. She would do whatever it took to never let something like that happen again.

Faking a super important appointment with fabrics suppliers, Hanna excused herself and hurried out, leaving behind a slightly puzzled Lucas who had to handle the negotiations alone now.

Hanna sped through the halls and staircases, trying hard to remember where she'd parked her car. Her mind seemed to go blank whenever she thought about A.D. She had developed a serious PTSD over the last year and she was nowhere near being back to her old self again.

She found her car right across the street, got in and drove away, hoping against hope that she could still make her 2:00 PM deadline with her anonymous tormentor. She had a bad feeling that this time she couldn't risk losing her piece of the puzzle again. Her last punishment had sent Caleb to the hospital after being knocked out by some kind of poisonous gas. Who knew what A.D. would do to him now if she didn't comply? Being afraid for herself was one thing. But having to fear for the life of the one person in the world she loved the most was a whole different story. She hit the accelerator even harder.

Since she and Caleb had sworn not to lie or keep any secrets from each other anymore, she called Caleb from the car trying to inform him about the anonymous text message that she had received during the meeting. When he didn't answer his phone, Hanna decided to leave a voicemail and ultimately felt safer, knowing that Caleb would look out for her in some way. His protective instinct had become essential for her well-being. It was one of the features that she had once come to dislike about him because she had felt it was suffocating her. But now her life literally depended on it.

Hanna ignored the speed limits and headed out of Rosewood. It was a little past 2:00 PM when her car arrived at Bilson's. She stayed inside and waited for instructions.

They didn't come.

At 2:22 PM Hanna checked her phone again to call up her texts. Had she got the time wrong?

 _Bilson's parking lot, 2PM, come alone._

This was weird. She hadn't been THAT late. A.D. normally wasn't that slow to respond.

Five minutes later, a familiar car rolled up, coming to a stop in the parking space right next to hers. She recognized the driver within a split second. She would recognize his face among a million others. Blindly.

"Caleb?" Hanna's eyes widened in shock. "What are you doing here? I told you I was supposed to come alone. If A.D. sees you here…" Caleb got out of his jeep, smiling. When he saw her serious face, his smile froze.

He looked at her questioningly. "Hanna, what's wrong? What do you mean, you told me? That was MY instruction. I was the one telling YOU to come alone. I know I'm late. Sorry, babe, I got stuck in traffic on my way here."

Hanna didn't understand. A knot seemed to form in her stomach and her thoughts were running wild.

"I don't understand. You told me to come here? Is this some kind of sick joke to you?" Her anxieties pushed her voice to a higher octave. Trying hard to calm her nerves, Hanna took her phone out of her purse. As she scrolled through her messages again, Caleb stood waiting, trying to comprehend the situation and why his girlfriend was so freaked out about him showing up at Bilson's. After all, this was all part of the plan. A plan he felt he should reveal to her now before she would get all worked up.

He took her hands and waited for her eyes to lock with his. "Hanna, everything's fine. Nobody tried to pull a joke on you, okay? I wrote the text." Seeing that she was on the verge of crying, he pulled her close to his chest, holding her in a sweet embrace. As she was gradually calming down, Hanna flipped her phone to show him why she was being so high-strung.

"The text came from an anonymous sender, so I thought A.D. was behind it. I even left you a voicemail." Her voice was still quivering, so Caleb hurried to clear up the situation. "Yeah, that's my text. Han, I'm sorry. I forgot to tell you that I had to switch phones this morning." Hanna didn't look convinced, so he continued, "Mona was trying out this new recording app on my phone but accidentally shut it down for good. I wasn't able to restore it yet, so…" He stopped short when Hanna cut in and scoffed "You? You couldn't fix your own phone?"

"Are you mocking me?" he tried to lighten up the mood. "Hanna, I promise I'm telling the truth. No more lies between you and me, remember? Anyway, I went to the store and bought a new phone, but I had no time to break it in. Your mom had an issue with the security cameras on one of the floors at the Radley which needed to be fixed and it took me longer than expected. That's why my number was obviously blocked. It must have been a standard setting on the phone. I didn't want to freak you out."

As her facial features started to soften and the questioning look in her eyes disappeared, he quickly added, "You can check my contacts. There's exactly one number in there so far, and it's yours. Because it's the only number I know by heart."

He instantly knew he had her.

A small smile appeared on her face, and she looked down, ashamed that she had been thinking the worst of him. Caleb gently pushed her face up with his finger. "Hey, I understand why you would think that the text came from A.D. But didn't you notice that it wasn't signed by A.D.?"

"No. I was too afraid of what A.D. would make me do now to win the puzzle piece. Too afraid of what might happen to you this time. I couldn't think straight…" She choked up, trying to avoid crying in the middle of the parking lot for no reason at all. "Caleb, last week when I got the message that you had been taken to the hospital… it was the worst feeling." She sobbed, "To think that you and I just got back together… that I could lose you again…"

She failed to keep the tears from streaming down her face. Caleb wiped them away with his thumb.

"It's okay now. I'm fine. You're never going to lose me again." He placed a small kiss on her forehead. "And now let's go inside, we still have a lot to do."

A look of confusion took over Hanna's face. "Go inside? Where? Bilson's?"

"Yeah. Why else did you think I wanted to meet you here?"

She racked her brain to find a plausible explanation, but none would come. Caleb headed to the entrance of the outdoor gear supplier. Trying to keep up with his fast pace, Hanna flinched inwardly, regretting for the zillionth time that she hadn't thought about bringing comfortable shoes with her. _I should really keep a spare pair of sneakers in the car._

Caleb noticed that she could hardly keep up with him. "Okay, babe, we're going to buy shoes in there. Hiking boots. No arguing!" _Wait, what? Hiking boots?_

"Caleb, stop. Why are we here? Why did you want to see me alone? And why are we out here in the middle of nowhere?" Hanna stopped walking and tried to hold back Caleb. She needed some answers. Her love for surprises had vanished a long time ago.

Realizing there was no sense in dragging it out to surprise her, Caleb came to a stop and gave her some answers she desperately needed to calm down.

"All right, I'll explain." Hanna looked at him, frowning. "We're going to take a little hike just a couple of miles up North, and then we're going to camp out in the woods. We need some alone time, no board game, no Mona, no Lucas, no house guest Emily, no playing detectives. At least for one night."

"Camping? Now?" Hanna didn't seem thrilled.

"Look, I know you might feel more comfortable in a hotel room, with lights and electricity and security people in the lobby. But I figure camping would be so much more romantic", Caleb tried to convince her. "Come on, I think it will be really good for us."

"I don't know, Caleb." Things didn't look too good for Caleb's plans.

"We'll buy an electric lantern and we can leave the light on all night, if that helps you. And I'll be there right by your side holding you all night to protect you. You know that, right?"

Weighing in on the pros and cons of his suggestions in her mind, Hanna still looked skeptical, so he quickly added, "Please?"

Seeing him practically beg for her to come along, the look on her face changed, eventually turning into a small smile.

He was right. She needed to get away from the mess part of her life had become. And since none of her friends seemed to need her right now, Hanna decided to give in. "Okay. I guess we could really use some time to ourselves."

Pleased with her answer, Caleb smiled and gave her a kiss. "Oh, you should tell the girls that we're taking the rest of the day off so they won't worry about us going off the grid for tonight. I'm going to go inside and run some errands. You can find me in the tent section when you're done." He put on a wide grin. _Time to set the plan in motion…_

Hanna couldn't help herself and chuckled. Thinking about tents did stir up some good memories…

As instructed, Hanna called Spencer and signed off for the rest of the day, hoping that A.D. wouldn't interfere with their plans. Then she followed Caleb inside the store and found him in the tent section.

An hour later, Caleb and Hanna had worked off their list of things needed for their little trip. They left Hanna's car in the parking lot, and drove off together in Caleb's jeep.

The afternoon went by in a breeze. They had parked the car ten miles outside of Rosewood, intending to hike through the forest for two hours, set up camp for the night, and then walk back to the car the next morning. Caleb had carried most of their camping equipment, leaving the light weighted stuff for Hanna, who had trouble breaking in her brand-new hiking boots.

Hanna found that she really enjoyed hiking through the woods with Caleb, chatting and talking without having to fear that somebody might eavesdrop on them. There was still so much to catch up on… her design business, his job perspectives, their families. And also her PTSD. Caleb asked many questions about it, desperate to understand her struggles better, and Hanna found it rather therapeutic to tell him what had been going around in her head. She knew she could tell him anything, all her inhibitions, all her worries.

As it was slowly getting darker, Caleb found a suitable spot to set up their tent. Hanna took to building a campfire, while Caleb was growing desperate with the construction manual of the tent. So they switched and silently completed their tasks. Caleb watched her from the fire site, admiring her ability to pull off these two completely different personalities, fashion designer and camping pro, effortlessly changing from one to the other. _All the more reason to love this woman!_

When everything was set up, they sat down for a picnic, eating the sandwiches that Caleb had brought along. He had even remembered to buy marshmallows so they could have some s'mores!

After they finished eating, Caleb motioned for Hanna to move closer so she could sit in his lap with his arms supporting her from behind. Night had fallen and the air was starting to feel crisp. Making sure she wouldn't be cold, he pulled a woolen blanket over both of their bodies and put his arms back around her.

With Caleb hugging her tightly from behind and his head nestled comfortably against her right shoulder, Hanna felt a new kind of peace and serenity seeping in. She thought about how lucky she had been to have Caleb back in her life, and above all, back in love with her again. After the way their relationship had ended three years ago, she never thought she'd see him again. And yet, here he was. Somehow they had found their way to each other, and she would forever be grateful for this second chance.

They sat like that in silence for a while and watched the flickering flames of the fire, neither one of them feeling the need to speak right now.

Eventually, Caleb broke the silence, asking, "Do you feel like watching a movie? I brought my laptop, and there are a couple of movies on the hard drive."

"All right, that sounds like fun. What kind of movies did you bring?"

"How about _Roman Holiday_? Or _Breakfast at Tiffany's_?"

"Caleb, these are classic chick flicks. You don't normally –"

He interrupted her, saying, "I told you this trip is all about us spending some time alone together. I'm just making sure that you're comfortable. And if Audrey Hepburn can help you with that, I'm the last person to judge. She's cute."

Hanna gave him a gentle slap on his forearm.

"What? Not as cute as you, though." They fell silent again.

"This is really nice", Hanna whispered after a long moment. "You were right. I really needed this."

"You're welcome."

She turned around so she could face him. Then she planted a firm kiss on his lips. Not wanting the physical contact to end, Caleb put his hand behind Hanna's head to support her and gently brushed over her lips with his tongue. He could still taste sweet remnants of her last s'more on them.

With a little more pressure, Caleb pushed his tongue past her lips, finding more of her sugary taste. Hanna's free hand had started to roam his body, trying to find a way to get under his jacket. She turned around a little more so she could put her other arm behind his neck. Taking turns at placing short pecks all over their faces and kissing deeply with their tongues entwined, their breathing accelerated.

Breaking the kiss and trying to catch his breath, Caleb spoke with a husky voice, "Or maybe we should just skip the movie."

Her eyes opened, and he could see her desire to take their game to another level.

However, he had his own idea of foreplay.

They got up and started collecting their litter. After everything had been stored away in bags, Caleb held his hand out for her. Hanna felt a tingling sensation in her stomach, like little butterflies flurrying around. After all these years, she was amazed that he still made her knees go weak when she looked into his beautiful brown eyes. Right now they had that certain gaze, blurry and yet so radiant. She knew that gaze so well. It was part of what had made her fall for him in the first place, back when they were still in high school.

Though part of her wasn't too thrilled about locking herself up in a small structure made of tarp, Hanna took his hand and followed him to the tent. She completely trusted him. In his arms, she would always feel safe.

As the light of the campfire was slowly fading, Hanna and Caleb took their shoes off and crawled into the tent. Caleb deliberately left the front open for them to draw from the warmth of the fire and for Hanna to feel less confined.

They knelt down opposite each other on the pile of sleeping bags and blankets that Caleb had packed for their getaway. They had been camping in the woods before, just once, spending their first night together when they were teenagers. To this day, Caleb couldn't comprehend that he had been Hanna's first lover ever. She had been the Prom Queen at their high school, she'd had plenty of friends, not to mention the fact that she wasn't bad to look at… But she had chosen him to take her virginity just a few weeks after they'd met. It had made him feel so special.

And tonight he not only had the firm belief that he had been her first love, but also that he was going to be her last.

Caught in this throwback moment, Caleb reconsidered his next steps. This wasn't about recreating a moment from their teenage past. This was about so much more tonight. He had carefully planned this romantic getaway, only it happened at the worst possible moment in their lives… with A.D. closing in on them. And he had fought a long battle with Hanna to get her to come along and go camping with him despite her fears.

But now they were here, and judging by Hanna's mood, she was enjoying the night just as much as he was. He would do whatever it took to make her feel comfortable and safe. Enclosed spaces and darkness surely weren't on her list of favorite make-out places, considering her PTSD. It still broke Caleb's heart thinking about the torments his girlfriend had to endure in the past months. Her mental state was fragile, and Caleb always tried to be as considerate and understanding as possible. Although Hanna kept insisting that she was fine, her waking up from bad dreams almost every night was his proof. The dreams were getting fewer and less intense, but every time they happened, Caleb's rage was fueled. A.D. had almost broken Hanna. Now it was time for Caleb to pick up the pieces and help her mend.

Hanna took in her surroundings, fighting inner battles whether it was safe for her to sleep in a tent in a forest outside of Rosewood. Caleb had sprung this idea on her, and she hadn't been able to cancel the trip, seeing how much he had been looking forward to being alone with her for a while without having one of their friends barge in on them all the time.

Caleb looked at Hanna, pouring all the love he could summon into his eyes. He was mesmerized by her beauty. All the bad things that had happened to her could not take away anything of her beautiful face. Soon enough the scars and wounds that 'A.D.' had inflicted on her would fade, or, if she's lucky, disappear. Her mental trauma was being tended to at last ever since Hanna agreed to see a psychiatrist. And Caleb would make sure that no-one ever would cause her this much pain again.

Before his trail of thought could take him somewhere dark, Caleb interlaced his fingers with hers, eternally entranced by how perfectly her slender fingers fit into the small gaps between his own. Hanna smiled at him, surprised by his cheesy move. And also wondering a little bit why he didn't instantly continue what they had started outside by the fire.

"Hanna," he tenderly whispered her name. "You're so beautiful." He took a strand of her hair that was hanging loose and threatened to veil her piercingly blue eyes, gently pushing it behind her ear. "Seeing you so carefree today… laughing… I missed this!" Noticing that his last words caused her to avoid his gaze, his nerves got the better of him and his carefully composed speech paused for a moment. Caleb's voice had turned hoarse as he anxiously tried to regain his confidence.

Hanna looked up at him again. The remaining glow of the campfire had turned his warm brown eyes to the color of charcoal with little sparkles of caramel dancing to the rhythm of the blazing flames. She wanted to drown in those eyes forever. She wanted to touch him, caress the fine lines of his jawbones, and trace those beautifully shaped lips with her tongue. But his eyes seemed to be telling her something, so she kept mum and waited for him to pick up his speech again.

His right hand let go of hers and found its way to the depths of his pants' pockets. _It's still there. Good._ Hanna looked at him questioningly. His left hand started drawing lazy circles on her thumb to tide her over the loss of part of his touch. _Okay. I can do this_.

His hand resurfaced and locked with hers again. _Oh, the things she could do with those hands_ … Her soft skin being able to touch him in the most sensual, yet seductive way possible. The feel of her caresses would forever be with him, imprinted in his memory, soothing him whenever he was in need for comfort.

But this was about cheering HER up tonight.

Caleb cleared his throat. This had to sound right.

"Are you cold?" he asked. "I brought this little heater that I could –"

"No, I'm fine", she cut him short, sensing his nervousness. She looked at him expectantly; she was dying to hear his tender voice again.

"Hanna," his hands moved upwards over her arms and shoulders. His touch made her shudder even though she was still wearing her jacket. Then he took her face into his hands and placed a gentle kiss on her lips as his eyes took a small break from taking her in. When he opened them again, he could see Hanna smiling at him timidly, her blue eyes finally able to mirror that smile again.

Caleb let his hands rest on her face and spoke up again. "Seven years ago I met this incredible girl in high school who not only offered her house for me to sleep in but who also opened up her heart and let me in. Your house was the first place I knew to call a home for me. And all because of you…," he paused and lightly ran his fingers through her blonde hair. "You were the first person I ever truly loved and who loved me back for who I was."

Her smile magnified and if she had a hunch where his little speech was going, she wouldn't let it show.

"When I met you, Hanna, I had no idea that one day we would end up here. Still together. Or together again. I don't care. We're together, that's all that matters to me now. I know that I've made some mistakes in the past. The biggest mistake of all leaving you behind and flying to Europe without you." She wanted to cut in, but he carried on, "Please, hear me out. Back then I was so mad that you'd put me in second position after your job." Caleb almost choked up when he saw that her eyes were losing part of their shininess, so he hurried to make amends. "I didn't realize until just recently that whatever is locked in your heart, you love equally. And above all, unconditionally."

Hanna looked down at their hands which had found their way back to each other, keeping a firm grip on one another. Caleb's eyes searched for hers again, and eventually, they complied.

His gaze was unwavering. He inhaled sharply and continued. "There's something I wanted to give you tonight. I've been carrying it around with me for some time now. And I've been wanting to give this to you ever since we'd mapped out our plans for travelling through Europe. Do you remember how you wanted to take me to the Eiffel Tower at night because that's when it's the most romantic, with all of those blinking lights illuminating the place?"

She nodded, blinking away a tear or two over the memory of not having been able to share that romantic moment with Caleb because he had been going on that journey without her.

"I didn't mean to bring this up and make you cry, I'm sorry." He softly wiped her tears away with a stroke of his thumb. "I… ", his voice was quavering. "The night before our flight to Prague I ran some errands, gathering supplies and stuff. And I bought something else." His right hand started fidgeting, moving down to the inside of his pants pocket.

His hand found what it had been reaching for. He wrapped his fingers around the item and pulled his fist out of the pocket. Hanna's gaze moved from his face to his clenched fist. He slowly turned his hand around and opened it, revealing a precious ring.

Hanna withdrew her hands and covered up her face in shock. _He bought a ring…_

It was stunning! White gold, she figured. There was a larger round diamond at the center of the ring, enhanced by more, yet smaller diamonds lining the band and twists of metal winding around the center. The diamonds glistened in the remaining shine of the fire that still hadn't died down entirely.

She brought her hands back down again, not sure what to do with them. Caleb took her left hand into his own and gathered his confidence. He looked back into Hanna's eyes. Hanna quickly swallowed down a lump that was building in her throat. _He must be out of his mind_ , she thought. _He had been planning to propose to her three years ago in Paris?_ Her heart suddenly started hammering in her chest. _Say something!_

Noticing that her eyes were starting to get watery again, Caleb couldn't hold it in any longer.

"With everything that's been going on lately, I might not be able to take you to the Eiffel Tower at the moment." Hanna tried to smile, suppressing the bad vibe she got when she thought about all the different reasons her – THEIR – lives were so complicated right now with A.D. still lingering in the shadows.

"So I thought I'd bring you here… Where I first realized that I had fallen in love with you so hard." He looked at her lovingly, remembering their first night in the tent on a cold November night so vividly. It had been the best night of his life then. He hadn't known what being loved by someone felt like until he had been with Hanna that night.

With tears continuing to well up in her eyes, Hanna also thought back to her first time with Caleb. It had been perfect in every conceivable way… engraved in her memory for eternity… just like this moment, right here, right now, would be.

However, Caleb still wasn't finished yet. "Baby, I love you so much! I can't imagine what my life would have turned into if you hadn't let me be a part of yours. I don't even want to think about this. All I want to think about is how I want to spend the rest of my life with you, trying to make you as happy as you keep making me."

Since he couldn't get down on his knee for obvious reasons, he gently stroked her hand while holding the ring with the other and finally asked the question that had been lingering in the air for a while now.

"Hanna, will you marry me?"

Hesitating only to wipe some happy tears away so her view would not be blurred, Hanna answered.

"Yes!"

She had tried to put all the affirmation into those three letters that she could muster and beamed at him. Caleb stared back, and for a few seconds, Hanna thought he hadn't heard her. But then the corners of his mouth moved and a bright smile appeared.

Caleb wanted to relish the moment, savoring the look on her face forever. He had often wondered if he could ever be happy again after their breakup. And right now, all the memories of their time apart were starting to vanish into oblivion, replaced by images of her happy, yet teary-eyed face. He positioned the ring between his thumb and index finger and carefully slipped it on her finger. It fit perfectly.

Hanna looked up and put her hands on both sides of his face, holding it still, taking in every handsome feature.

"I love you", she whispered. And then all the pent-up emotions poured out as their faces drew near and they started kissing passionately. Tongues searching for entry, licking and tasting each other while they're hands were roaming more and more fiercely to grab hold of each other.

In the spur of the moment they hadn't realized that the fire outside their tent had died down. Panting heavily, Caleb broke their kiss. "I'll be right back. Don't you go anywhere."

He winked at her and moved to the front of their tent. He quickly checked on the dying embers, then crawled outside to pour a bucket of water over it, just to be safe. Hanna watched him from the distance and rearranged the blankets and pillows around her. Then she took off her jacket and lay down. The fire wasn't going to keep her warm anymore but she had a feeling that Caleb would take care of that as soon as he was back with her.

Caleb climbed back into the tent and swiftly closed the front zipper. They were alone again, shutting out the world, at least for one night.

He reached for one of the travel bags. Soon he found the electric lantern and hit the switch, illuminating the entire tent. His eyes adjusted to the sudden bright light and he saw that Hanna was covering her eyes to shield them. He fumbled around with the lantern once more and dimmed the light till it exuded a warm orange glow resembling candle light. Caleb put the lantern into a corner of the tent and looked back at Hanna. She was sporting a dreamy look on her face.

She couldn't take her eyes off her ring. It was the most beautiful piece of jewelry she could have wished for.

Taking in the sight before him, Caleb found a deep satisfaction that his girl was sincerely happy about his pick. And he shook off the tiny thought that was taking him back to the time they had been living together in New York, wondering why he hadn't thought of proposing sooner.

"Where were we?" Caleb moved closer, never taking his eyes off of her. He didn't even dare blinking, afraid the moment with Hanna admiring her engagement ring was all just a figment of his imagination.

Longing for her touch, he quickly got rid of his jacket. He didn't want another layer of clothes between him and Hanna. Before he could grab the hem of his shirt, Hanna met him half-way up and pulled him in for a kiss. Without breaking it, they both laid down on their large sleeping bag.

Lying side by side with their bodies pressed tightly together, their kisses grew hungrier. Hanna moved her lips to his ears. She gently sucked on his earlobe then kissed lightly down his neck. She could hear his breathing quicken again, matching her own.

She moved so that she was on top of him and feathered light kisses along his jaw, then down his throat. As she migrated her kisses down to his chest, she heard him give a soft moan. Caleb pulled her head back up to his, and, as their lips met, and tongues intertwined, she felt as if she would never get enough of the taste of his mouth.

In answer, Hanna moved her legs so she sat straddling his hips, and deftly removed her t-shirt and bra. At his gasp of appreciation, she seductively ran her hands down his stomach, running a fingertip along the inside of his waistband. Pausing for effect, she then slowly moved her open palms upward along his stomach, spending a little more time gently stroking over his scar that was now almost invisible, yet Hanna knew by heart where it was and how Caleb had got it. It made her love for him grow even bigger knowing that Caleb would always take a blow for her or one of her friends if it meant they would be safe.

Kissing his chest, she massaged his shoulders, now tense with excitement. Finding a nipple, she teased him through his thin t-shirt, gently pulling on the nipple with her teeth, causing him to shudder. As she felt Caleb's hands move lightly and swiftly over her shoulders and through her hair, Hanna looked down at him. His eyes were closed and he was biting his lip to keep from crying out. His breath was coming fast and hard.

Unable to contain her own arousal any longer, Hanna sat up and slowly circled her hips against him, feeling his hardness between her legs. Finding a rhythm that pleased her, she let her head fall back and released a long, low moan.

Opening her eyes, she found Caleb staring intently at her face, totally entranced. Meeting his gaze, Hanna purposefully lowered her head, alternating kisses and licks over his stomach and ribs, she knew his resolve was almost gone. "Oh, baby… yes," he moaned.

Hanna slowly slid her body upwards against his, till they were face to face. His eyes had that familiar intensity, and she kissed him, once, then again. Caleb lifted his upper body and reached behind to get rid of his shirt at last. Next Hanna helped him remove his pants. Then she settled herself on top of his body again.

He reached up, running his hands along the smooth skin of her breasts, his thumbs brushing over her erect nipples. Hanna closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation.

Encouraged by their mutual arousal, Hanna kissed his lips lightly then continued her motion downward. As her mouth reached the waistband of his boxers, she gently nipped at the tip of his erection, making sure he could feel her through the material.

Caught completely off guard, Caleb gasped loudly with pleasure. Letting his body fall quickly back against the ground, he could no longer contain his voice. "Oh, Hanna… that feels... so good." His words came haltingly, quietly, punctuated only by his heavy breathing.

As he lay back down, Hanna continued her nibbles through his boxers, feeling him swell beneath her. Aware that he had been allowing her to set the pace, she was enjoying her control over him. Her mouth wandered down one side of his ridge then back up the other. As she reached the tip, she gently pulled his shorts downward, freeing him to the night air. Watching as his body adjusted to the temperature change, she repeated her earlier movements, nibbling and licking up and down his length. As Caleb raised his hips to meet her, he whimpered quietly, craving relief, but desperately trying to hang on to his self-control. Finally, his composure was shattered as he let out a deep groan.

This time, however, Caleb was no longer content to be passive. "Please, Hanna," he whispered hoarsely, "I have to touch you. I NEED to touch you." Increasingly excited by their game, Hanna shivered in anticipation as Caleb first removed her jeans, then her panties. His hands shook as he caressed her nude body. "Let me catch my breath, okay?" he begged as he guided her to stretch out next to him.

Hanna's arousal was evident; her thighs felt damp and she opened up eagerly for his touch. Caleb moved his fingers slowly and deliberately through her folds, teasing her the way she had teased him. As she danced under his touch, he lowered his mouth to her body. Laying soft kisses along her breasts, he wandered everywhere but to her nipples. As she moaned in frustration, he traced his mouth up the length of her collarbone, then to her neck. When he nuzzled her ear, she turned her head, squirming towards him. "Kiss me, Caleb," she whispered insistently. "Please, now."

As their lips met, Caleb's free hand moved to her breast and began caressing her nipple. This time it was Hanna's turn to whimper with pleasure. As he lowered his mouth to catch her other nipple, Hanna began to move her hips more insistently, begging for a firmer touch.

At her motion, Caleb gradually changed the rhythm he had set with his fingers, bringing her back from the very edge of her climax, not allowing her to cross over that threshold. Crying out in protest, her hand quickly dropped between her legs, trying to recapture what he had denied her. He caught her hand as it tried to replace his and held it still momentarily. Then, carefully and deliberately, he guided her hand's motion, covering her fingers with her own juices.

As their eyes met and locked, Caleb lifted her hand up towards his mouth, never taking his eyes off her face. As she stared in rapt attention, he eagerly sucked the liquid from her fingers, tasting her hungrily. After several seconds, he gradually released the hold on her hand.

When her hands were free again, Hanna took her opportunity. Pulling Caleb roughly to her, she kissed him hard, releasing all of her pent-up frustration. Their gasps became moans, words were no longer necessary. Their bodies shifted together as Caleb moved her so that she was beneath him. She needed no gradual entry and he didn't offer her one. As he entered her in one swift movement, they clung to each other for support. Hanna wrapped her legs around the back of his thighs and their bodies became one, immediately finding a rapid rhythm.

They came at the same time, each keenly aware of the other's passion and release — and this awareness carrying them to even greater heights. The waves of pleasure seemed to last forever, until, finally, they collapsed into each other's arms, bodies trembling.

They lay that way for several minutes, waiting for their breathing to stabilize, neither of them willing or able to break the intensity of the moment. Ultimately, it was Caleb who maneuvered them into the warmth of the sleeping bag.

Somewhere in the trees surrounding their cozy love nest, an owl was hooting. Once, then again. Caleb and Hanna couldn't help themselves and chuckled, remembering a time so long ago when their love was just starting to blossom. It had become something so strong that it survived their struggles and years of separation. And now they were back here again, starting the next chapter of their relationship.

When their breathing had become slow and steady again, Hanna decided to start a new conversation. She didn't want to go to sleep yet. As she looked at her brand-new engagement ring, a burning question arose.

"Did you really keep the ring after our breakup?"

"Yeah", he whispered. "It was in my backpack already, so I took it to Europe with me." He spoke calmly and Hanna simply lay there listening. She had to hear this, as much as it hurt to trigger those sad memories. She had to understand what HE was going through to finally be able and put it in a back corner of her heart. She wanted to try so hard to never give him reason to leave her again.

"I was so mad at you for leaving your phone behind." They lay side by side, facing each other, one arm curled up under their heads, holding hands with the other.

"Now, that was downright stupid, my entire itinerary was stored on that phone! Do you know how long it took me to find the right hotel in Prague? There are like ninety-six houses going by the same name."

"Serves you right!" Hanna tried to poke fun at him. She was starting to realize that the heavy weight that pulled at her heart whenever this topic came up, was getting lighter. Knowing that she and Caleb had found their way back to each other despite all of this made her head dizzy. She felt like the luckiest woman alive.

Caleb, however, remained serious. His voice had turned hoarse again as he continued. "I almost went crazy missing you. At one point, I wanted to throw that ring out of the train between Vienna and Paris because I couldn't bear it any longer."

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't ready to give up hope that one day everything would be okay again between us. I tossed the empty box, though. I so needed to throw away something, and that seemed to do the trick." He paused, swallowing. "When I came back to New York, I had nowhere to go. But I was too afraid to come by our apartment, too afraid to see you'd moved on with your life without me. So, I put the ring in a storage unit along with the rest of my stuff." He hesitated for a long moment, while Hanna processed what he had just said.

"Storming out to get on the plane to Prague was a rush decision, and you have no idea how much I regret it. We should have talked it all out. We could have met in Budapest like you suggested. I could have picked you up at the -"

Hanna's "shhhh" stopped him, and he looked at her questioningly, surprised that she didn't want to hear the part where he would tell her that she had been right all along.

She didn't want him to feel bad. She felt she'd had her fair share in the way things ended between them since she had often made her job her top priority, thus hurting Caleb.

Hanna leaned in to kiss him, but Caleb stopped her movement gently with his hand. He had to make another point.

"I never made it to Paris." He paused for her to take in the significance of his words. Hanna swallowed visibly. "I couldn't go there alone, it hurt too much. So, I left the train in Zurich and changed my travel route from there on."

Hanna looked into his eyes, instantly understanding that he hadn't just skipped his stay in the most romantic city in the world. He had saved it for her! As she tried to wrap her head around this proof of love, she could only react by placing a tender kiss on his lips.

Caleb pulled her closer and turned them both over so that she could lie on top of him. He looked at her intently as she gave him a sultry smile. He held her tightly, her breasts pressed against his chest, as he caressed her tongue with his. Her closeness stirred a familiar feeling deep down inside of him. As Hanna noticed his renewed hardness, the two separated, their smiles melting into looks of longing, eyes meeting in silent seduction.

Hanna brought her legs up so she could straddle him. Without a word and without breaking eye contact, she moved down slowly till the tip of his penis broached her entrance. They each shivered and gasped as she slid down, pushing him inside of her, the moisture left from their first encounter easing the way. She took him into her depths in one slow, steady motion, stopping only when she had taken him completely.

This time they took their time exploring one another. They took turns setting the pace, alternating slow, full strokes with shorter, quicker ones. As Hanna varied her positions over him, Caleb marveled at the way the placement of her legs affected the tightness that he felt around him. He rejoiced in the feeling of their bodies loving each other. _He had missed out on doing this with the woman of his dreams for three years? What had he been thinking?_

As the minutes ticked by and their excitement grew, Hanna pushed herself up to a sitting position, her legs straddling him, her knees next to his waist. Caleb's hands splayed across her stomach and traced the contour of her ribs before he allowed himself access to her breasts. Her entire body was enticing to him and he was in awe as he watched her nude form move in rhythm with his. Caressing her nipples with his fingers, Caleb watched her face as she lustfully bit her lip. After all these years he still found it sexy as hell. Her eyes were closed, and her head was thrown back as she lost herself in the pleasure of making love to him.

The moans that came from her were those of a woman throwing away her inhibitions, those of the woman he loved with all his heart. The look of complete pleasure on her face was as exciting to him as the sensation of her inner heat stroking him.

Hanna couldn't believe how incredibly right they felt together. She trusted him completely and felt no embarrassment, no hesitance. She felt his fingers rolling her nipples into hard peaks and felt his smooth hardness sliding out then thrusting back inside of her. The pleasure seemed all around her, and she lengthened her strokes in response, prolonging the pleasure for both of them.

As she began taking him deeper and deeper, Caleb lifted his upper body up to meet hers. Feeling him sit up, Hanna opened her eyes and welcomed his hungry kiss. His expression matched hers, their eyes heavily lidded with passion, their faces flushed and sweaty with the effort to delay release. Their movements, which had contained a measure of exploration and reserve for so many minutes, now grew more urgent. As she straddled his lap, she could feel his body straining for hers, his moans escalating in frequency and volume.

Shifting her position slightly, Hanna pressed her stomach into his, a position that brought their entire lower bodies into alignment. Hanna gasped in delight. As Caleb's hand lifted a breast and his head dipped low to capture a firm nipple between his lips, her gasps turned to moans and she headed towards climax.

Caleb suckled strongly at her breasts and was rewarded with low breathless moans above him for his efforts. His own breathing was coming faster and faster. His muscles tightened and strained as the pleasure grew too much for him. Needing her lips on his, Caleb released her nipple and lifted his head quickly to seek her mouth. His eyes were open, but he seemed unable to focus, capturing her wet, eager mouth more by instinct than by sight.

The mixture of pleasure and pain was so intense when Caleb peaked that he unconsciously held his breath for a moment.

Hanna felt him climax beneath her, panting and moaning her name. Clutching him tightly, she rained kisses over his face and circled her hips frantically against his, stimulating her nub with the constant contact of his hot skin. Her own orgasm was almost immediate.

She hovered at the pinnacle of her climax for a long second, held captive by an intensity she'd never felt before. Heat radiated outward from her core, traveling through her body and down her legs. Suddenly, her own muscles twitched and trembled as the rhythmic waves cascaded through her. She could feel Caleb's arms around her, holding her tight, erotically whispering her name as his own orgasm subsided. She felt his hands on either side of her head as he pulled her face into a deep, passionate kiss. After what seemed an eternity, she collapsed against him, arms around his neck, head on his shoulder, exhausted from the sensations and feelings coursing through her body.

They sat like that for long moments, having a hard time catching their breath and calming the pounding of their hearts. Caleb trailed wet kisses down her neck and shoulder and arm. Through her rough breathing, Hanna mumbled into his damp skin. "Caleb, that was..."

"I know. I know, baby, it was incredible," he murmured back in response. "It was so incredible."

He placed another small kiss on her lips before he let go of her. Getting some distance between them to look into her eyes properly, he saw the elation on her face. Another idea formed in his mind.

"So…" He dragged out the word to get her full attention. Her gaze still seemed kind of clouded in the aftermath of their lovemaking. "Since I never got to see the Eiffel Tower… How would you feel about taking me there? Like… next spring for instance?"

"Oh, I'm so going to take you to Paris as soon as we can catch a breath." Hanna still wasn't quite herself and sounded like she was trying to make fun of him. She was spent and so she lay down, pulling Caleb down with her. He stretched out beside her and offered his arm to her so she could rest her head on it and cuddle up against his side. Then he pulled the cover of the sleeping bag up to keep them warm.

Caleb knew that neither of them should be making any plans as long as A.D.'s board game wasn't over yet. But he was also painfully aware that Hanna needed something to look forward to in order to make it through her trauma.

He tenderly caressed her face with his free hand. "I'm serious." He turned his face to look at her, waiting for her reaction.

Hanna also moved her head so she could look at him. She finally came back to her senses, seeing the sincerity in his eyes.

Caleb took a deep breath and tried to verbalize his idea with a firm voice. "I want us to get married in Paris. Under the Eiffel Tower. Just you and me. You choose the day and you choose the time, and I'll be there… in whatever outfit you picked out for me."

Hanna's eyes widened again. _He remembered?_ Unable to grasp what was happening, she was looking for reassurance. She held her breath asking, "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "I'm sure."

She closed her eyes and pulled him in for a sweet kiss. Caleb hurriedly prepared to add before she could protest, just for the sake of it because she was, well, Hanna. "I would do anything for you, you know that. Because I love you. And because I know that this has been your dream since you were in high school. You kept reminding me that it was on your bicker list or what was the name?"

"Bucket list," Hanna corrected him and tried to stifle a laugh, failing instantly. Caleb chimed in and suddenly felt a lightness taking over his body, relieved that Hanna had said yes to his proposal and proud that he would be able to give her the wedding of her dreams. They turned their faces to each other and kissed passionately for a long moment, realizing they had come to a wordless agreement.

"I love you, Caleb", she whispered tenderly.

"I love you, too", he replied, never ever getting tired of saying it back.

Silence fell over them as they lay peacefully side by side, feeling the tiredness due to their exhaustions sink in at last.

"Caleb?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"Could you please turn the light off? I don't need it anymore. I just need to feel you by my side, that'll do."

"I told you I'm going to hold you all night. I'll hold you forever if that's what you want."

She gave him a warm smile and placed another kiss on his lips. Caleb broke their embrace and moved over to the electric lantern. He switched it off and returned to his position where Hanna was waiting for him. _My fiancée_. He still couldn't quite believe it.

As they buried themselves deeper within the sleeping bag, they felt strangely detached. Tomorrow morning they would have to return to the city and deal with A.D. again. They only had a few more hours left for themselves. Neither of them knew where A.D. would lead them next in its crucial board game. But they had this night to draw strength from each other, to form a new kind of deeper bond that would help them make it out of the game alive.

Caleb tightened his grip on Hanna's back, not willing to let an inch of her body uncovered in the safety of his arms. Hanna stretched out and moved her upper leg so it came to rest between his own. Her left hand found its favorite spot in the crook of his neck, holding on tight as sleep arrived to take over her body.

Both held it off just long enough to gaze into each other's eyes one more time, murmur each other's name and touch each other's skin, all in an effort to convey the magnitude of the love they felt. A love that was meant to be.

* * *

 **THE END**


End file.
